Archive for the ‘Computing’ Category

About a year ago, my institution made the campus-wide transition to Google electronic mail. Concurrently, Google’s suite of office applications known as Google Docs also became available, as it comes essentially integrated with electronic mail. It includes word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software, among other things. I started using the word processor and spreadsheet right away; in recent times I have experimented with the presentation software as well. A fundamental component thereof is the remote hard drive (Google Drive), which allows for permanent file storage.
So, what’s the verdict ? Is this thing any good ? Would I recommend its use ?

Between work and home I own eight Apple computers — four iMacs, two MacBook Air, two Mac Pro. So, like any respectable user, I promptly upgraded the operating system to the new version, OS 10.8 (aka Mountain Lion), which has now been available for a few weeks. Around this time last year, its predecessor Lion had come out. On that occasion, after installing it on all my machines, I expressed in a blog post my lukewarm feelings about it.

This week has marked the untimely departure of two charismatic leaders from the helm of two very different organizations.
Canada’s New Democratic PartyJack Layton succumbed to cancer, shortly after leading its party last May to the best electoral showing in its history.Apple‘s legendary co-founder Steve Jobs stepped down from the position of company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). His stated inability to continue to serve in that capacity, is attributed to health problems (he has also been fighting cancer over the past few years, and it seems unlikely that he may return).

It is a warm mid-Summer weekend. Instead of relaxing and enjoying the outdoors, the fresh air, the company of friends, the ferocious northern mosquitoes and all the joys that the season brings, I am in my home office, cursing the new Apple operating system.
Being a sucker for whatever is new, I have much too hastily installed it on my home computers, as soon as it became available early this week. I have spent some time reading pertinent newsgroups and web sites, and noted that some of my concerns are shared by other long time users — but of course we may well belong to a vocal minority. Ultimately, as usual, the market will be the supreme and unappealable judge of the success of this product. Me, I do not like it.